Shirt-ironing machine.



No. 634,376. Patented Oct. 3, I899.

J. W. & H. SUTCLIFFE.

SHIRT IBONING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 21, 1898.)

(Nu.Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

witnesses 9,4 4, 1a. w 4% No. 634,376. Patented Oct. 3, I899.

J. W. & H. SUTCLIFFE.

SHIRT IBONING MACHINE.

(Application flled Feb. 21, 1898.) (No Mqdel.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2.

kwx\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\lliillllll STATES JOHN WILLIAMSUTCLIFFE AND HARRY SUTOLIFFE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SHIRT-IRONING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,376, dated October8, 1899.

Application filed February 1, 1898. erial No. 671,157. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN WILLIAM SUT- CLIFFE and HARRY SUTCLIFFE,subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 26Theberton street, Upper street, Isliugton. London, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating toShirt-Ironing Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to those shirt-iron-' ing machines having asliding or moving table which runs beneath a heated revolving roller orfixed iron or other suitable ironing agent.

The object of the invention is to prevent as far as practicable waste oftime and heat of the ironing-rolls while the operator is arranging theshirt-bosom upon the ironingboard. This is accomplished by providingmeans for utilizing the operation of the machine and the heating agentin a practically continuous manner.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same partsare designated by the same letters of reference throughout the severalviews.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a shirt-ironingmachine constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is adetached plan, on a somewhat larger scale, of the sliding table. Fig. 3is a plan, also on an enlarged scale, of the shirt-board. Fig. 4 is aplan, on a similarenlarged scale, of the sliding table with theshirt-board in position thereon. Fig. 5 is a plan of the same with ashirt in position thereon ready for ironing the shirt and cuffssimultaneously. Fig. 6 is a similar view with the shirt in position forironing the cuffs only upon the shirt-board, the cuff-blocks beingdispensed with. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal sectional view, on anenlarged scale, through the shirt-board and the supporting-board,showing them in position for use. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View,on an enlarged scale, showing one of the cuff-blocks and one of theclamps for holding the sleeves of the shirt against the said block.

0 design ates the heated ironing-roller,which is journaled in the frameof the machine and may be heated and turned by any suitable means.

' fdesignates the sliding table, which is arranged to slide beneath thesaid roller and has a board a secured upon its upper side, this boardbeing provided with an upwardlyprojecting strip 1) at one end thereof,against which the shirt-board 9 (shown in Fig. 3) is adapted to rest.

The shirt-board g is provided with the ordinary stretching roller 7; andpawlandratchet device Z for holding the same.

Upon the top of the sliding tablef, on each side of the board a, aresecured the cuffblocks cl and e, the spring-clamps h being arranged tohold the part of the sleeves adjacent to the cuff against the sides ofthe said cuff-blocks, and so hold the cuffs upon the blocks in positionfor ironing. Bythis device the shirt-boso n1 may be placed upon theshirtboard and the cuffs upon the cuff-blocks all in position forironingsimultaneously.

Should the cuff-blocks not be used, as shown in Fig. 6, the cuffs may beplaced upon the shirt-board g and ironed separately.

According to our invention, instead of the usual block shaped inconformity to the shirtbosom, we fix three platforms or blocks, as shownin Fig. 2, which may be of any suitable material and shape and placed inany suitable position; but preferably we place them in the positionshown on the drawings.

The projecting strip 1), fixed to the edge of the platform or block a,is parallel to the revolving roller 7t. The shirt-board g is placed onthe platform or block a, as shown in Figs. 4: and 7, the strip bdetermining its position. The platforms or blocks (Z and e are for thecuffs. The center platform a is made of such a thickness that when ashirt-board g is placed upon it the upper surface of such board isexactly level with the two blocks cl and 6.

(See Fig. 1.) On these two cuff-blocks d and 9 e We place felt orpadding of any suitable material, and we make this easily removable inorder that it can be changed when damp without serious loss of time. Wealso cover The mode of operation is as follows: A shirt is placed uponthe shirt-board g so that the bosom lies upon the padded side. The saidboard is then placed upon the platform a so that the back of the shirtrests between the surface of the platform a and the under side of theshirt-board g. The operator is able to put the shirt-board y exactlysquare upon the platform a, as the skirt end of the shirt-board restsagainst the strip 1), as shown at Figs. 4: and '7. The operator thenplaces the cuffs upon the blocks (Z and 0, using the clamps h, Figs. 2and i, to hold them in position. (Shown at Fig. The shirt-bosom andcuffs are now ready to be ironed, and the operator manipulating themachine runs the sliding table f under the revolving roller 0, thusironing the bosom and cuffs of the shirt sim ultaneously. \Vhile theoperator is working the machine an attendant can arrange shirts uponother shirt-boards g. Thus when the first shirt is finished anothershirt-board g is always ready for the operator and no time is wasted.

The advantages of having several shirt-- boards which can be easilychanged without loss of time will be obvious to those skilled in the artto which the invention appertains.

e would draw special attention to the fact that on our improvedprinciple the shirtboard 9 is not attached to the platform a in any way,and when the sliding table is run under the heated roller thisshirt-board does not slip or shift from its position on the platform a,but remains in the same position as placed by the operator, and,further, it does not require holding in anyway, thus leaving theoperators hands free, and therefore he or she is better able to attendto the ironing without running any risk of being caught under theironing-roller.

If it should be desired to iron the bosom of the shirt in one operationand the cuffs in a separate operation, we make the sliding tablefasshown in Fig. 6, in which case we use the platform a withoutthe blocks(Z and 6, but with the shirt-board g. After the shirtbosom has beenironed the cuffs can be ironed by removing the shirt-bosom from theshirt-board and placing the cuffs on this board and again placing itupon the platform a and ironing, as before described.

Although we have described the blocks for the cuffs as used incombination with our removable shirt-board y, it is obvious that theymay be used on the ordinary platform, which carries a fixed shirt-board.

As our invention refers to the sliding table, we do not require to makea special machine,

but may use the same machines as at present in use with sliding tables.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

In an ironing-machine, the combination with a sliding table, afixedplatform thereon for a shirt-board, and a pair of cuff-blocks securedupon opposite sides of said platform to said sliding table,substantially as described.

2. In an ironing-machine, the combination with an ironingroll, of asliding table, a pair of cuff-blocks secured upon said sliding table,and clamps-secured upon the sliding table and bearing against the saidcuff-blocks for securing the cuffs in position upon said blocks,substantially as described.

3. In an ironing-machine, the combination of a sliding table, a fixedplatform thereon, a shirt-board detachably held on said platform, andcuff-blocks secured to said table, substantially as described. v

I. In an ironing-machine, the combination of a sliding table,cuff-blocks thereon, a platform provided with a projecting strip at oneend also secured to said table, said platform being on a lower levelthan said blocks, and a shirt-board adapted to rest on said platform andagainst said strip, substantially as described.

5. In an ironing-machine, the combination of a sliding table,cuff-blocks and a platform thereon, and a shirt-board provided with aratchetand-pa\vI mechanism for firmlyholding a shirt on said board, saidboard being detachably held on said platform, substantially asdescribed.

0. In an ironing-machine, the combination of a sliding tableprovidedwith cuff-blocks and a platform, clamps for holding the articleto be ironed in engagement with said blocks and a shirt-board detachablyheld on said platform, substantially as described.

7. In an ironing-machine, the combination with an iron, means forheating and rotating said iron, and a sliding table, of cuff-blockssecured to said table, clamps cooperating with said blocks, a platformsecured to said table and provided with a projecting strip at one end,and a shirt-board provided with means for securely holding a shirtthereon, said board being designed to rest on said platform with one endagainst the projecting strip thereon, substantially as described.

JOHN XVILLIAM SUTOLIFFE. HARRY SUTGLIFFE. \Vitnesses:

J. M. LANDON, WALTER EVERETT.

IIO

